First Female Special Agents

First Female Special Agents

Two of the first female FBI special agents in history are sharing their stories about what it means to be pioneers in federal law enforcement.

Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: Two of the first female FBI special agents in history are sharing their stories about what it means to be pioneers in federal law enforcement.

I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau and this is FBI, This Week. Up until 1972 the FBI did not accept applications from women to become special agents. When that changed, JoAnne Misko and Susan Malone were the first two to enter the FBI Academy. Susan Malone says it was a dream come true…

Susan Malone: I was absolutely thrilled to have this great opportunity to serve my country.

Halpern: For JoAnne Misko, it was the beginning of a more than two-decade career at the FBI.

JoAnne Misko: It was a privilege. It’s a career that women should look into.

Halpern: The two women supported each other through what was then an arduous 14 weeks of training with their fellow agents—all of whom were men.

Malone: We wanted to be another agent, just another agent who happened to be a woman.

Halpern: More than 2,600 women special agents currently serve and lead in all roles in the FBI. To hear more from their predecessors visit www.fbi.gov.